Defense? Who needs defense?
There was precious little of it Saturday when the Pistons took on the Bucks in a matinee — the Pistons had a 126.2 offensive rating and lost — and Damian Lillard took full advantage. Making his All-Star case on the final day of fan voting, he dropped 45 points on Detroit.
Dame becomes the first player in @Bucks history with 40+ points, 10+ assists and 5+ threes in a game!
— NBA (@NBA) January 20, 2024
45 PTS
12-22 FGM
16-16 FTM
5 3PM
11 AST
W pic.twitter.com/C1eQrVewRl
“Dame was so great tonight, and he was competing on both sides of the ball,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said, via the Associated Press. “I had no idea he had 45, but he’s a rhythm player and he definitely got into a rhythm out there. He made big shots, and that’s why he’s on this team.”
If you enjoy listening to the referee’s whistle, this game was for you — the Bucks had 49 free throw attempts, and the Bucks had 32. It left a game without much flow.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 31 with 10 rebounds and nine assists, and Brook Lopez scored 19 for the Bucks. Alec Burks boosted his trade stock with 33 points off the bench to lead Detroit, and rookie Ausar Thompson added a career-high 22 points with nine boards.
These two teams face each other again Monday in Detroit.
